Junior Seau the Latest in a String of NFL Suicides; Is There a Link?

Furthermore, this may not have been the first time Seautried to end his life, however. Back in 2010, Seau mysteriously drove his truck off a California cliff following a domestic violence spat and arrest. And some are beginning to believe that the suicide deaths may be related through brain-related injuries sustained during the players’ football careers.

Roger Goddell and the National Football League, by far the nation’s most popular sport, may have a few questions to answer. Since taking over the helm as NFL commissioner, Goddell has taken what some players, fans and pundits believe are extreme steps to protect the health of the players, particularly when it comes to blows to the head. Maybe we now know why those measures were implemented and why harsh penalties were handed out when players allegedly violeted them.

Take a look below at the other recent suicides and attempts and why they happened.

– terry shropshire

Last month, former Atlanta Falcon player Ray Easterling, 62, shot himself last month in his Virginia home. His wife told the media that the former safety developed symptoms of dementia after his football career.

Easterling filed a federal lawsuit in Philly against the NFL in 2011 over its handling of concussion-related football injuries, claiming the league intentionally concealed links between the injuries and the game. Several dozen such lawsuits have sprouted against the NFL, but the league dismisses the suits as baseless and unwarranted.

Dave Duerson, 50, shot himself in his chest was and was pronounced dead at the scene inside his Florida home last year.

Interestingly and eerily enough, Duerson texted his family before his reported suicide requesting that his brain to be used for research, which is why he shot himself in the chest. This next part is crucial: months later, researcher neurologists at Boston University confirmed Duerson had suffered from a neurodegenerative disease linked to concussions. Duerson’s family is also filing suit against the NFL for the reasons outlined for Easterling.

Early speculation proposes that Junior Seau could have shot himself in the chest for the same reason, that he wants his brain analyzed.